The present invention relates to surgical cutting and surgical cutting instruments. More particularly, aspects relate to surgical resecting instruments and systems capable of both high-speed cutting and electrical probing or evoked potential monitoring functions, as well as procedures utilizing such a devices.
Surgical micro-resecting instruments in which an elongated, rotatable blade or cutting member is support within an elongated outer tube are well-accepted for use in various surgical cutting procedures, for example, those where access to the surgical site is gained via a narrow portal or passage. Typically, the outer tube includes a distal section forming a cutting window, with the inner member forming a cutting tip. The inner member is rotatably disposed within the outer tube, with the cutting tip being exposed at the cutting window. With rotation and/or oscillation, the cutting tip effectuates a desired surgical procedure such as cutting, resecting, abrading, shaving, etc., contacted tissue. The cutting tip is normally in the form of resecting blades/teeth or a bur.
Micro-resecting procedures (e.g., ENT) typically entail removing tissue, bone, etc., from bodily areas that are otherwise in close proximity to nerves or other delicate bodily structures. Thus, a danger exists of potentially severing or otherwise damaging nerves (or other structure) through inadvertent cutting or excessive heat. As such, conventional micro-resecting procedures oftentimes require additional steps and instruments for measuring nerve location to safely complete the procedure. Evoked potential monitoring devices are employed to periodically evaluate an intended location of the cutting tip relative to nerves. While carrying out such procedures, a surgeon may be required to sequentially remove tissue/bone with the micro-resecting instrument and then probe a cut area for nerves (or other bodily structure) using a separate implement otherwise provided with the evoked potential monitoring device. This is clearly time-consuming and thus undesirable.